77 911 - Getting it going again

[theblindchicken]

Hey all,

My dad's had a 1977 911 with the 2.7L hanging around at home kinda wasting away. If I remember correctly, it was originally set aside due to an issue with the airbox? Possibly cracked, who knows. Haven't taken a good look at it yet. Hasn't ran in 10+ years.

Would love to get it running again even though it will take a good amount of work.

Here's the things that I know for sure would be necessary to get her running again:

Tires
Battery
Clean out fuel tank & lines
Engine Gasket Set
Brakes - bleed & probably new pads and/or rotors
Fully cleaned
Full retune

Here's what she need to get on her way of lookin pretty again:
Body work - few dents here and there
Paint - needs to be completely stripped and redone, since it's flaking off all the way to the galvanizing or primer
Headliner - sagging and needs to be redone

Plan is for function now, looks later. She'll be looking pretty one day.

Looks like the panels are galvanized, if so, do you guys have any specific primers that have worked well? Would like to knock off the loose paint and give her a quick coat to keep her protected in the meantime.


As stated above, she hasn't been driven or even run in the 10+ years that she's been sitting. Fluids will all be drained and replaced, before even attempting to fire her up again. So a few questions for y'all:


1. What's the first thing that should be checked prior to firing it up and/or at initial firing attempt? How do you go about priming the oil pressure?

2. What's a good list of parts that we'd need to have right off the bat to kickstart this project best? (Gaskets, rubber bits, primer, cheap set of tires to roll her around on)

3. I used to have a catalog that listed out all OEM and aftermarket reproduction parts for this car, but it has since gone missing. What's the best source for parts? Catalogs? Dealership? Online parts distributor?

My mechanical experience is based off of older carb'd chevy's and slightly newer models. Very new to porsches, but not new to turning a wrench or seven. So based on that, I would greatly appreciate any and all help/guidance on this project.

[theblindchicken]

Pictures:

[theblindchicken]

[Eli W]

I would stat with making sure the pistons are not seized before doing anything else, I would put penetrating oil down the spark plugs and make sure the pistons are not rusted to the cylinder walls. Let it set with the oil for a day or two and then hand crank it.

But that is just me. I do know that they pistons can get frozen after sitting that long.

[theblindchicken]

Originally Posted by Eli W

I would stat with making sure the pistons are not seized before doing anything else, I would put penetrating oil down the spark plugs and make sure the pistons are not rusted to the cylinder walls. Let it set with the oil for a day or two and then hand crank it.

But that is just me. I do know that they pistons can get frozen after sitting that long.

Didn't even cross my mind to check the possibility that they rusted in place. Will make sure to put that at the top of the list. Thanks!

[fanaudical]

Welcome to the forum.

Couple of questions:

Got any pictures? (Others will ask...)

Has the car truly been sitting for 10 years with nothing done to it?

Where are you located? Others may be willing to drop by and render an opinion.

I think truly the first thing to do is research. Pelican is a great place to find info related to bringing a car back. There are numerous threads here of others doing the same. It's very easy to get into one of these and do a lot of damage with good intentions.

Prior to mechanical work, a good vacuuming and inspection for rodents is warranted. You'll be surprised to discover how much damage these things can do.

At this point, I would assume every piece of functional rubber (hoses, flexible brake lines, seals, etc) will need to be replaced to be safe.

Pelican and the used parts forum have been my go-to parts sources. The info and selection is good and prices are reasonable.

You can download the exploded parts identification from here:

Porsche 911/911S - Porsche USA

Wayne's engine rebuild book is very useful (available through Pelican Parts):

How to Rebuild and Modify Your Porsche 911 Engine

Check out the 'bonus CD-Rom' link for pics of engine internals.

You'll also want to understand the prior condition of the engine. 2.7 engines can have some particular heat-related damage that necessitates a lot of work to correct.

Good luck and post questions!

[Knockdown]

Going through this process with my 77s currently. As mentioned above, research and audit your major sub-systems on the car and start a list, after 40 years, almost every bit of plastic and rubber is suspect. From what others have shared on this forum and parts costs, add a cost range to your list to verify you have an acceptable plan to move forward. Here's some suggested areas....

Chassis. Check for rust, especially around the battery tray.
Engine. Has it been rebuilt, case savers installed, head studs replaced, leaks, compression or leak down.
Exhaust. Thermal reactors removed, air pump removed.
Fuel. Tank condition, fuel pump, rubber fuel lines, CIS air leaks, fuel pressure test after cleaning.
Cooling. Oil lines, front cooler upgraded.
Brakes. Master cylinder leaks, booster, calipers, hoses, rotors.
Ignition. CDI, distributor, spark plug wires.
Electrical. Starter, fuse block cleaning, gauges, lights.
Suspension. Shocks, rubber and plastic bushings, steering.
Interior. Seats, controls, windows, carpet, headliner, sun roof, dash.
Comfort. AC, heat.
Exterior. Trim, paint, tires.

I had the same issues with the exterior paint, had a shop sand down to bare metal and shoot it with a SPI black epoxy primer just on the major body panels. Figured I would do the windows out when I do the top coat after the rest of the mechanical stuff is done.